HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Starting next month, some Verizon customers will be charged a $2 "payment convenience fee" when they pay their bills online or over the telephone.

The fee - which starts Jan. 15 - will allow Verizon to "continue to support these single bill payment options in these channels and It is waived for those who pay by electronic check or enroll in AutoPay," the company said today in a statement.

Verizon said it has several free payment options and "we encourage customers to use those options." The company released a list of payment options where there is no fee or the fee is waived: